Drum clothes drier including means for circulating the drying gas over the evaporator and condenser coils of a refrigerating device



April 1, 1947. T. R. Smm y2,418,239 DRUI CLUIHBS DBIBR INCLUDING HBMIS PORl CIRCULATING '1HE DRYIHG GAS OVER THE BVAPOBATOR AND GOIIDBRSER COILS 0F A REP'RIGERATING DEVICE Filed June 10. 1w 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 rPatented Apr. il, 1947 UNITED STATE DRUM CLOTHES DRIER INCLUDING MEANS FOR CIRCULATING, THE DRYING GAS OVER THE EVAPORATOR AND CONDENSER COILS OF A REFRIGERATING DEVICE Thomas R. Smith, Newton, Iowa, asslgnor to Thev Maytag Company, Newton, Iowa, a corporation of Delaware Application June 10, 1942, Serial No. 446,438

l The present invention relates to Va system for drying clothes, and more especially to a novel clothes drier of the portable, compact and self- 1 Claim. (Cl. 34-77) through which is passed heated air having a low relative humidity. The novel system or unit includes means for passing the air through a continuous cycle in which the air is heated, then passed through the perforated receptacle or cylinder where its relative humidity is greatly increased by the moisture extracted from the wet clothes, then cooled to condense and remove this moisture content and reduce the relative humidity of the air, and then again heating this air in which the relativefhumidity has been greatly reduced and again passing it through the clothes.

The novel invention employs a continuous refrigeration cycle for heating the atmosphere in a completely enclosed and insulated compartment, subsequently cooling -this atmosphere and condensing out its moisture content to thereby reduce lits relative humidity, and again heating this dried atmosphere torre-circulation and reuse,

continuous operation and in a complete enclosure.

Further objects are to provide a construction ofV maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby. y

The invention further resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts, features and constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the novel drying unit'.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical cross section taken on the irregular line 2--2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in vertical-cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure l.

- The invention further. comprehends a novel method for most effectively drying clothes in a Figure 51s a diagrammatic view of the humidostat control.

Referring more particularly to the novel illustrative embodiment disclosed in the drawings, the drying unit comprises an enclosure or chamber I completely insulated from the outside atmosphere by suitable insulation 2 and mounted upon a base 3. Rotatably mounted within the enclosure and upon a horizontal shaft 4 is a perforated container or drum 5 preferably provided with a plurality of spaced ribs or vanes 6 upon its interior which are adapted to tumble the clothes as the drum or receptacle is rotated toV thereby uniformly expose the laundry or clothes being dried and to facilitate the drying operation.

As more clearly shown in Figure 4, the entire circumference or cylindrical surface of the drum y Completely enclosed and self-contained `within the unit is a refrigerating system including a pump or compressor II for a suitable refrigerant. This system operates on the compression principle in which the pump forces the refrigerant under compression through the conduit I2 to the hot or condensing coil I3, then through the expansion valve I4 to the cold or evaporating coil I5 from where it passes through the conduit I6 back to the pump or compressor I I in a closed 4 cycle. The refrigerant under compression and in a hot state passes downwardly through the hot coil or condenser I3 and is condensed by the cold air that is passed upwardly around this coil, and by exothermic action, this air is heated to the desired degree. The condensed or liquifled refrigerant is then passed through the expansion valve `I4 where it is again transferred into a gaseous state and passed through the cold or expansion coil I5, where,by endothermic action, the heat contained in the air is absorbed and the air cooled to desired degree. It will be appreciated that the refrigerant passes through a continuous refrigeration cycle in which it is adapted to heat air to be supplied to the drum or clothes container 5 and to cool this air after it has passed through the container and absorbed moisture.

In addition toV cooling the moisture laden air, the

moisture content is condensed out and collected in a funnel-shaped discharge passage I'I from 3 where it may be discharged into any suitable drain for iinal disposal.

Inorder to circulate theair used in drying the clothes through a continuous closed path, the invention comprehends provision o! a fan or blower I8 driven from a motor or other prime mover I9 suitably mounted at 20 upon the bottom 2I of the enclosure. This fan or blower is mounted in an opening connecting the compartment in which the coil I is located with the compartment in which coil I3 is mounted, so that the air is'blown by the fan I9 rearwardly and upwardly over the hot coil I3, then through the open-ing 22 connecting the compartment in which the hot coil is located with the compartment in which the container or drum 5 is rotatably mounted. After the air has passed through the container or drum 5, it is exhausted or discharged through the open-l ing 23 and passed over the cold coil I5 where its humidity is greatly lowered. This cold air of greatly reduced humidity 'is then again passed over and around the heating coil I3 to be reheated and re-circulated for re-use.

As clearlyshown in Figures 2 and 3, the enclosure is divided into separate compartments in which are preferably located the compressor or pump II, the cold or evaporating coil I5, the perforated container or drum 5, and the hot or condensing c oil I3 and motor I9, insulated against heat transfer to and from each other except in the direction of the circulating air in the closed cycle, and with the fan or blower I8 mounted in an opening between, the cold coil and the hot coil so that the circulating air after the moisture has been condensed, is drawn through this opening and passed over the motor and then over the hot coil for `circulation and recirculation in a closed path. 5

In order to operate theentire mechanism as a self-contained unit and through a single motor or prime mover I9, the shaft of this motor is provided with a pulley 24 adapted to rotate a pulley 25 through a belt 26. This pulley 25 is mounted upon the shaft of the pump or compressor II and in .amanner .well-known in refrigerating systems, compresses the refrigerant ment 39 is mounted In the drying chamber and adapted to stop operation by breaking the circuit 40 to the motor I9 when the relative humidity of the air leaving the clothes chamber 5 has been reduced to the satisfactory predetermined designated amount. This permits the clothes to be dried completely or in varying degrees as desired.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim: A compact and self-contained clothes drying unit comprising an enclosure completely insulated from the outside atmosphere, partitions in the enclosure for dividing it into separate compartments, a perforated container rotatably mounted within one of the compartments for receiving laundry to be dried, a refrigerating unit including a compressor, a condensing coil, an expansion valve `and expansion coil, Awith the compressor, condensing coil and expansion coil disposed in separate compartments, conduits. connecting the compressor with the condensing coil, expansion valve and expansion coil in sequence and back to the compressor to provide a continuous circuit for'circulating refrigerant in the unit, an opening in the partition between the container compartment and expansion coil compartment, an opening in the partition between the expansion coil compartment and condensing coil compartment, and an opening in the partition between the condensing coil compartment and the container compartment, a circulating fan and a motor within the enclosure for operating the fan and compressor disposed between the expansion coil and the. condensing coil for 4circulating airV in the unit in a closed cycle by drawing moisture laden air from the container compartment over the expansion coil and thereby continuously cooling this moisture-ladenair and condensing out the moisture content, blow- 'ing this cooled air over the motor and condensing coil for heating the air and passing this heated air to and through the perforated container and back to the expansion coil in a continuous closed cycle until the laundry has been suiliciently dried.

THOMAS R. SMITH.

and forces it outwardly through the conduit I2.

Also mounted upon the shaft of the motor I9 is a pulley 21 adapted to rotate a pullry 28 through a belt 29. The pulley 29 is mounted upon a shaft carrying a small pulley 39 adapted to rotate the pulley 3| through a belt 32 mounted upon the external end 33 of the shaft 4 upon which the drum or receptacle 5 is mounted and carried through the end wall 34 and sleeve 35.

In Figure 5 is disclosed a diagram of the humldostat control including a humidostat control mechanism or relay 36A on the enclosure I for controlling the operation of the unit. The control plate 31 is divided into suitable designations describing the condition-of the clothes at the end of the cycle such as damp dry, ironer dry and dry, or intermediate stages thereof, andis pro- 1 vided with a manually adjustable indicator or control knob 38 which is moved by the operator to the designation for the condition o1 dryness desired. A suitable humidostatic actuating ele- REFERENCES CITED The following references Aare of record in the lle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

